6.2 Professional Development Framework

A Lead Agency must have a professional development framework for training, professional development, and post-secondary education for caregivers, teachers, and directors in child care programs that serve children of all ages. The framework must include these components: (1) professional standards and competencies, (2) career pathways, (3) advisory structures, (4) articulation, (5) workforce information, and (6) financing. CCDF provides Lead Agencies flexibility on the strategies, breadth, and depth of the framework. The professional development framework must be developed in consultation with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or a similar coordinating body. 6.2.1 Updates and consultation a. Did the Lead Agency make any updates to the professional development framework since the FFY 2022-2024 CCDF Plan was submitted? [ ] Yes. If yes, describe the elements of the framework that were updated and describe if and how the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (if applicable) or similar coordinating body was consulted: [x]No. b. Did the Lead Agency consult with other key groups in the development of their professional development framework? [x] Yes. If yes, identify the other key groups: The state facilitated a Professional Standards Committee comprised of key representation from the K-12, Head Start, higher education, infant/toddler, after school, and special education to conduct the work with support from The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance. [ ] No. 6.2.2 Description of the professional development framework a. Describe how the Lead Agency’s framework for training and professional development addresses the following required elements: i. Professional standards and competencies. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about which roles in early childhood education are included (such as teachers, directors, infant and toddler specialists, mental health consultants, coaches, licensors, QIS assessors, family service workers, home visitors). Since 2004, Arkansas has utilized professional standards and competencies to guide its work. Understanding the importance of continuous review and improvement, the Arkansas Early Childhood Commission/State Advisory Council voted to revise the existing workforce knowledge and competency framework to ensure alignment with current research and recommendations for best practice. The state facilitated a Professional Standards Committee comprised of key representation from the K-12, Head Start, higher education, infant/toddler, after school, and special education areas to conduct the work with support from The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance. Although not prescriptive, the framework specifies targeted staff roles, levels of education, and degrees of professional development that would be expected at each competency level. The leveled competencies defined within the framework serve to assist individuals to identify strengths and areas for potential growth; help programs hire, evaluate, and plan meaningful trainings for their staff; allow state-level administrators to identify areas of need and evaluate the effectiveness of professional development initiatives; and provide consumer information for families choosing among early care and education options. In 2017, the new Arkansas Workforce Knowledge and Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals (WKC) framework were presented to the Arkansas Early Childhood Commission. The state received public feedback following the release and made adjustments to strengthen the work. The final https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/admin/Files/AR_ECE_Workforce_Knowledge_and_ Competencies_2018-1_20230505103821.pdf was adopted in June 2018. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. The Arkansas early childhood professional development system includes three main components that jointly work to ensure the delivery of high-quality training opportunities through career pathways that meet the diverse needs of early education professionals. The first component of the system is the Arkansas Workforce Knowledge and Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals (WKC). Second, the Career Ladder, serves as a ￿roadmap￿ that provides the progression of equivalent training hours, degrees, and competency levels. Finally, the AR Professional Development Registry (PDR) https://pdr.ade.arkansas.gov/ serves to ensure quality, continuity, and accessibility of training opportunities. The PDR has three components: 1) The Practitioner Registry maintains a record of individual early childhood practitioners’ professional development. This record assists members in planning a career path and continued development. 2) The Trainer Registry verifies trainer education, specialized training, and experience in training adults. Through the PDR, verified trainers may access summaries of their training evaluations and view preliminary rosters for registered training. 3) The Training Registry lists professional development opportunities as submitted. Collectively, the workforce knowledge and competency framework, the Career Ladder, and the PDR form a comprehensive, integrated system of professional development for all early care and education professionals working with and on behalf of Arkansas’s young children. Arkansas believes strongly in the power of the System to effect meaningful change, and as a part of program quality improvement efforts, membership in the Professional Development Registry is required for all staff working in licensed child care facilities. iii. Advisory structure. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about how the professional development advisory structure interacts with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. Coordinating a comprehensive, effective system of preparation and ongoing development and support for all early care and education professionals requires a targeted effort by a specific group of people to focus on this work. As such, the Arkansas Early Childhood Commission/State Advisory Council convened the State Professional Development Steering Committee (SC). The SC included diverse representation from early care and education stakeholders including the Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Department of Higher Education, the Arkansas Better Chance State Prekindergarten Program, Head Start, home visiting, IDEA, Better Beginnings TQRIS, institutions of higher education, Child Care Aware Resource and Referral Agencies, and education nonprofit organizations. The SC was tasked with reviewing the Arkansas Early Childhood Professional Development System; revising and aligning the System to meet national, research-based standards; and developing an integrated structure to support the increase of high-quality early childhood professionals and TQRIS Better Beginnings programs. The comprehensive membership ensured the work is valued and provided cross- sector, integrated recommendations. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. The Arkansas Early Childhood Education Cohort, a voluntary group comprised of representatives from 2- and 4-year institutions, meets monthly. The lead agency (OEC) and TEACH Early Childhood Arkansas participate in the meetings and provide input. The Cohort goals include Goal 1: To maintain core competencies aligned with NAEYC, the Arkansas Child Development Early Learning Standards, and the Arkansas Department of Education 3-4 competencies. Goal 2: Maintain a common core of quality Early Childhood courses available at community colleges leading to a teaching credential in birth through pre- kindergarten. Goal 3: Maintain articulation agreements with four-year institutions resulting in a bachelor’s degree in Birth through Pre-kindergarten Goal 4: Promote lifelong learning leading to the development of our future leaders and educators of young children. v. Workforce information. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about workforce demographics, educator well-being, retention/turnover surveys, actual wage scales, and/or access to benefits. The state consistently seeks ways to improve its understanding and support of the early care and education workforce. To that end, the state contracts with an institution of higher education to conduct workforce studies. The purpose of the studies is to gain knowledge about the field including wages and benefits, education levels, professional development needs, and common barriers and supports to the work. A link to the Arkansas Workforce Studies research developed by the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences follows: https://medicine.uams.edu/familymedicine/research/red/research- evaluation/arkansas-workforce-study/ vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. OEC provides scholarships through T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Arkansas. T.E.A.C.H. provides comprehensive scholarships to enable early educators to take coursework leading to credentials and degrees by making it possible for them to afford both the time and expense of going to school. At the same time, T.E.A.C.H. will help leverage the financial resources necessary to provide capacity in higher education to help individuals attain their educational and career goals. T.E.A.C.H. is a change agent for the early care and education (ECE) workforce. The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood ® Arkansas Scholarship Program was developed to upgrade the level of education of teachers working with young children while making the educational process affordable, increasing wages and reducing turnover. b. Does the Lead Agency use additional elements? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the element(s). Check all that apply. i. [x] Continuing education unit trainings and credit-bearing professional development. Describe: The state’s professional development contractors offer training participants the option of obtaining continuing education units and/or college credit hours when available ii. [x] Engagement of training and professional development providers, including higher education, in aligning training and educational opportunities with the Lead Agency's framework. Describe: All contracted training is required to be aligned to the state's professional standards and competencies. iii. [ ] Other. Describe: [ ] No. 6.2.3 Impact of the Professional Development Framework Describe how the framework improves the quality, stability, and retention of caregivers, teachers, and directors and identify what data are available to assess the impact. a. Professional standards and competencies. For example, do the professional standards and competencies reflect the range of providers across role, child care setting, or age of children served? The Arkansas Workforce Knowledge and Competencies (WKC) refers to a progression and range of knowledge, skills and abilities important to the provision of early care and education programs serving children birth to age five. The WKC define what the workforce should know (content) and be able to do (skills) in their role working with and/or on behalf of children and their families. The WKC is organized under eight key knowledge areas and three competency levels. b. Career pathways. For example, has the Lead Agency developed a wage ladder that provides progressively higher wages as early educators gain more experience and credentials? What types of child care settings and staff roles are addressed in career pathways, such as licensed centers and family child care homes? The Lead Agency developed a proposed salary schedule based on education level and years of experience: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Copy-of-Suggested-Salary- 050922_20230506155012.pdf c. Advisory structure. For example, has the advisory structure identified goals for child care workforce compensation, including types of staff and target compensation levels? Does the Lead Agency have a Preschool Development Birth-to-Five grant and is part of its scope of work child care compensation activities? Are they represented in the advisory structure? The Lead Agency is working with the early childhood sub-committee of the Arkansas Department of Education to develop an early childhood strategic plan. This plan will include supports to the workforce, including workforce compensation. OEC provides some benefits through Preschool Development Birth-to-Five grant. d. Articulation. For example, how does the advisory structure include training and professional development for providers, including higher education, to assist in aligning training and education opportunities? Arkansas has a higher education cohort that meets monthly to coordinate and align training and education opportunities for early childhood education in Arkansas. The state and T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood Arkansas participates in the cohort. e. Workforce information. For example, does the Lead Agency have data on the existing wages and benefits available to the child care workforce? Do any partners such as the Quality Improvement System, child care resource and referral agencies, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and universities and research organizations collect compensation and benefits data? Does the Lead Agency monitor child care workforce wages and access to benefits through ongoing data collection and evaluation? Can the data identify any disparities in the existing compensation and benefits (by geography, role, child care setting, race, ethnicity, gender, or age of children served)? The Arkansas Professional Development Registry captures workforce data that is self-reported by members. Members are not required to provide the information. The Arkansas Better Chance Pre-kindergarten Program captures wages and benefits data annually as a part of the grant process. The state periodically conducts workforce studies. f. Financing. For example, has the Lead Agency set a minimum or living wage as a floor for all child care staff? Do Lead Agency-provider subsidy agreements contain requirements for staff compensation levels? Do Lead Agencies provide program-level compensation grants to support staff base salaries and benefits? Does the Lead Agency administer bonuses or stipends directly to workers? The Lead Agency developed a proposed salary schedule based on education level and years of experience: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Copy-of-Suggested-Salary- 050922_20230506155012.pdf